NBA
OTD in 2019: KD & Kyrie Sign With the Nets on Wild Day of NBA Free Agency
June 30, 2019: On a wild first day of NBA free agency, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to join forces on the Brooklyn Nets
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On the same day that Pro Sports Outlook originally launched in 2019, an announcement was made in the NBA that carried as much weight as LeBron James’ decision and Kevin Durant’s arrival to the Golden State Warriors. It coincided with the start of NBA free agency, which began in June rather than July for the first time ever. A number of important moves occurred: Kemba Walker to Boston, Jimmy Butler to Miami, but without a doubt, the most noise was made when Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant agreed to team up on the Brooklyn Nets.
BROOKLYN NETS SIGNED FUTURE HOF’S KEVIN DURANT AND KYRIE IRVING IN FREE AGENCY
The gathering of the powers was a relatively new phenomenon in the NBA. In the past, superstars more often than not stayed with the teams that drafted them, for better or worse, disregarding trades. The so-called, “Player Empowerment Era” that began with LeBron James’ decision to leave Cleveland for Miami coincided somewhat with the “Superteam Era,” jumpstarted by the Big Three Celtics. Superstars teamed up throughout the 2010s, with the most successful team featuring Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
Rumors about Kyrie Irving and Durant’s discontent with their situations during the 2018-19 season were well-publicized. As dominant as Brooklyn looked on paper going into the next season, there were still a number of other superstar duos to contend with, including LeBron and AD, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, as well as James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Their first two seasons together in NY were derailed by injuries, but with the addition of Harden, the Nets quickly became one of the most talented teams ever.
June 30, 2019: 1st day of NBA Free Agency was held before July for the 1st time ever: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the #Nets, D’Angelo Russell went to the Warriors, Kemba Walker to Boston, Jimmy Butler to Miami, Malcolm Brogdon to the Pacershttps://t.co/6xn8DDDD8n
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 30, 2021
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